This free, easy video editor for iOS connects to your Adobe Creative Cloud account so you can pluck video files directly from your device or grab them from cloud storage to create your perfect movie. It includes Instagram-style color filters, audio mixing tools, and other effects so that you can create a short, professional-looking video on the spot.

It’s official: Google wants to be your 21st century newspaper, no matter what device you’re using. This free app for iOS includes coverage from 65,000 news organizations, the ability to fine-tune your layout, and the option to tap any story and experience a whole range of coverage and opinions about it.

Prepare yourself for a new way to go old school. We’ve seen plenty of 8-bit-style games on iOS in recent years, emulating the game systems of the 1980s. Now we have Jack B. Nimble, a $2 Gameboy-style “endless runner” offering for the iPhone and iPad. The best feature? So many shades of green.

It’s winter sports season! NHL GameCenter (pictured), an offering for iPhone and iPad, returns with in-game highlights and live game audio available for free; GameCenter Live subscribers get to see the game from additional angles, including with a GoalieCam. NBA GameTime, somewhat similarly, offers free access to GameTime Plus—with live radio broadcasts and in-game video highlights—but you have an unlimited data plan with Sprint.

Can’t figure out what to read next? Readonly, a $3 iPhone app, picks your next bit of reading material—“Essays, investigative reports, short stories, historical anecdotes, philosophical debates”—based on your interests and the time you have available. It's a way to enjoy longform reading in a format that accommodates your Internet-shortened attention span.

Never stand in line again: Square Order was updated this week with new, improved ways to place your order ahead of an arrival. The app now predicts when you’ll get to the coffee shop (or restaurant or cafe) based on your location; it also suggests items and remembers your favorites. Its cousin app, Square Cash, also got an update this week—now it allows you to send money to somebody nearby using Bluetooth.

We’ve never found it that hard to calculate a tip—take 10 percent of the final bill, then double it—but lots of people do. This app not only lets you figure the proper tip quickly, it can also do a breakdown of how much should be paid by each member of your group. No more gueswork.